Hold-up on French cultural heritage. A group of four criminals stole a centerpiece from the Hiéron museum in Paray-le-Monial (Saône-et-Loire) on Thursday during an armed robbery. The work, a relic of sacred art titled The Way of Life and estimated at between 5 and 7 million euros, was severely damaged and looted.
“The Hiéron municipal museum will remain closed until further notice” indicates the museum in a press release posted on its site, before reaffirming its support “to all those present who demonstrated an exemplary attitude”.
A violent heist for a national treasure
Created at the beginning of the 20th century by the Parisian goldsmith Joseph Chaumet, The Way of Life is a masterpiece of goldsmithing. This three-meter-high sculpture, classified as a national treasure since 2000, illustrates the nine scenes from the life of Christ through 138 figurines in gold and ivory, embedded in an alabaster and marble mountain from the Pyrenees. The piece, richly decorated with metals and precious stones, was acquired in 2005 to become the jewel of the museum.
The thieves, heavily equipped, broke the armored windows of the window using a chainsaw. They tore off the majority of the figurines, as well as the upper part of the mountain, including two female figures set with diamonds and rubies.
A carefully prepared operation
Arriving on a motorbike shortly before 4 p.m., three of the criminals entered the museum, which was still open to the public, while a fourth kept watch. Armed and masked, they executed their plan in barely fifteen minutes.
Their escape was made easier by nails sown on the road to puncture the tires of the police pursuing them. No injuries were reported among the visitors and staff present during the attack.
Read the latest news from Saône-et-Loire
This is the second burglary of the museum in less than ten years
The mayor of the town of Paray-le-Monial Jean-Marc Nesme and the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati expressed their indignation at this theft which constitutes “a great loss for national heritage”. The museum is now closed until further notice, while an investigation into armed theft by an organized gang has been opened.
The Hieron museum, victim of a burglary in 2017 and an attempted robbery in 2022, had nevertheless strengthened its security measures. According to the director of the museum, Maud Siron, this could explain why the criminals chose to act in broad daylight.
